Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears, LLP

Managing Partners: David Schertler & Danny Onorato

Number of partners: 9

Number of lawyers: 15

Firm Overview:

Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears is a boutique litigation firm in Washington, D.C., that has specialized in white-collar criminal defense and government investigations for more than 20 years. The firm’s founding partners, David Schertler and Danny Onorato, are former federal prosecutors who have assembled within the firm a small and selective team of accomplished attorneys who handle sophisticated white-collar criminal, regulatory, and civil matters with expertise and efficiency. The firm’s clients have included high-level executives of numerous US and multinational corporations that include Volkswagen, VimpelCom, BNP Paribas, Enron, and Worldcom. The firm also regularly represents elected, appointed, and career government officials, military officers, athletes, attorneys, and other professionals in investigative matters of all sizes. The substantive areas covered by the firm’s diverse white-collar practice include antitrust law, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, bribery and gratuities law, mail, wire, and health care fraud, securities and tax law, and false statements and perjury.

The tight-knit team of attorneys at Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears is adept at navigating clients through government investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the Securities & Exchange Commission, and other federal and state prosecutorial and regulatory agencies. They also are seasoned courtroom advocates who can, and regularly do, take cases to trial in courts throughout the country. Mr. Schertler, Mr. Onorato, Christopher Mead, Mark MacDougall, and Robert P. Trout are all Fellows in the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers. Most recently, Mr. Schertler achieved an acquittal in a criminal antitrust trial in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Mr. Trout won a jury acquittal in a high-profile federal trial involving a Maryland defense attorney accused of obstruction of justice and other charges, and Mr. Onorato and Mr. Sears gained an acquittal in a Special Counsel prosecution for false statements in the Eastern District of Virginia. The boutique size of Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears sets it apart from many white-collar defense firms and offers clients a distinct combination of seasoned high-caliber representation, efficient staffing, and innovative fee structures.

Main Areas of Practice:

White-Collar Criminal Defense & Government Investigations:

Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears has extensive experience representing individual and corporate clients in investigations conducted domestically and internationally by the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, federal Offices of the Inspector General, and other federal, state, and local agencies.

Corporate Internal Investigations:

Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears has represented Boards of Directors or management for publicly and privately held companies and other organizations to conduct comprehensive and efficient independent internal investigations into a range of compliance issues.

Congressional Investigations & Hearings:

Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears has assisted clients in responding to Congressional subpoenas and document requests, prepared clients for Congressional committee depositions and interviews, and represented clients in numerous Congressional committee hearings, including high-profile televised hearings on issues of intense public interest. Our clients have included corporate executives and employees, Executive Branch agency officials, and former White House staff.

Securities & Antitrust Litigation & Enforcement:

Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears has represented individuals and entities in securities and antitrust enforcement matters and has successfully defended clients at trial in civil and criminal actions brought under the securities and antitrust laws.

Civil Litigation:

Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears regularly represents individuals, corporations, partnerships, and profit and non-profit institutions in civil disputes, including litigation involving breach of contract, business torts, accounting malpractice, fee disputes, breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference with business relations, unfair business practices, and antitrust violations.

Appellate Litigation:

Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears has deep experience in the federal and local appellate court system and regularly represents clients in direct appeals and other post-trial proceedings.

Tax Litigation & Counseling:

Clients have turned to Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears for representation in resolving tax disputes, defending against tax collection actions, and navigating administrative avenues within the Internal Revenue Service and state and local tax agencies.